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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com